DisplayLink demonstrates a USB-C dock setup for all notebooks and tablets

Article – From the horse’s mouth

DisplayLink

My Comments

DisplayLink has extended its reference design for a “video-over-USB” setup to USB-C and designed a dock that can work with all notebooks and tablets just by having them connect to the device via a USB-A or USB-C cable.

This is hot on the heels of Apple announcing their latest MacBook Air and Google announcing their Pixel 2 Chromebook, both of which implement the new USB Type-C connector. Here, the dock will support multiple-screen video using DisplayLink technology. They also underscore the ability to use the dock (and multi-screen setup) with existing equipment courtesy of the DisplayLink standard and the legacy USB Type-A plug.

One way I see this progress is that the dock could be equipped with the USB Type-C socket and equipment that has this connection is hooked up using a Type-C cable while legacy equipment is hooked up using a Type-C-to-Type-A cable. I also see it as a way to innovate with these devices especially if we are thinking of desktop docks that come in to play when you are using a portable computer at your office.

The idea can be taken further with the dock having MHL software abilities so as to work with Android phones and serve as a simple external-screen device for all computing devices.

What I see of this is the ability for the standard to be raised when it comes to the design of “single-connect” docks or expansion-modules that make it easer to engage in desktop-portable or “work-home” computing.